UKZN Enactus on the road to nationals

UKZN's Enactus team took part in the Harmony Gold LED Competition held at the KPMG offices in Johannesburg.

Enactus members, Jabulani Nyembe and Sabathile Ndlovu, represented UKZN and presented the student organisation's Sack Space concept in which vegetables are grown in vegetable sacks, also known as vertical farming.

For Ndlovu, the venture involved her first experience as a presenter, her first flight on an aircraft, and her first visit to Johannesburg. "I was very nervous on the plane. I'm glad I didn't faint," she said.

The group competed against five other Enactus South Africa teams and felt they had done well. The judges commended the team's work and provided positive feedback.

Ndlovu thanked Harmony Gold and UKZN for their consistent support as well as their assistance in helping Enactus members be agents of positive change in needy communities.

Winners will be announced at the Enactus South Africa national competition in Johannesburg on 9 July 2019 in which team UKZN Enactus is hoping to excel. All South African universities with an Enactus organisation will showcase their projects.

Nomqhele Dube, Enactus Deputy President on the Westville campus, said the team finished third at last year's nationals and is hoping for a better result this year. In preparation for the nationals, said Dube, Enactus UKZN held a camp on the Pietermaritzburg campus, which focused mainly on the Sack Space project. "Through this project, we have been able to impact a lot of lives and reach out to various communities. The project has been introduced to areas in KwaZuluNatal, Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, and expanded into Zimbabwe where we worked with the National University of Science and Technology Enactus team in Bulawayo," she said.

Meanwhile, UKZN Enactus team members, represented by Zekhethelo Zondo and Nicole Summerton, presented the Sack Space project at the Nedbank Project Scaling for Impact Competition in Johannesburg.

While the day started badly for the duo when they missed their flight out of Durban due to traffic congestion on the N2 following a motor accident, all was not lost, as they managed to get another flight and arrived at the competition venue as they were up next! Despite the early setback, a sense of focus and drive prevailed, enabling them to excel.

"When it comes to presenting, we believe we are confident speakers, but walking into Nedbank headquarters made me really nervous," said Zondo. The presentation went smoothly and the duo impressed the judges, who commented that it was informative; commending the team for the vertical farming concept, which aims to make a difference in the struggle against food insecurity. "This was an enriching experience and qualifying to be finalists in the competition shows that Enactus UKZN, through the Sack Space project, can empower communities and change people's lives for the greater good," added Zondo.

Words: Enactus Publicity and Marketing Office